Best and worst: NFL highlights and lowlights from Week 3

Best team? Who would've thought the Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons would be vying for that honor after keeping their records clean in dominant style Sunday by trouncing the previously undefeated Philadelphia Eagles and San Diego Chargers, respectively? Of course, the Houston Texans also have a strong claim after posting the first 3-0 start in their 11-season existence. (And, naturally, some 9-7 team like the 2011 New York Giants could end up taking the cake when it's all said and done anyway.)

Toughest quarterback: Matt Schaub's durability has been an issue for the Texans in recent years. But he's no wimp. Not everyone can throw four TDs in Denver with a piece of a bloodied ear missing.

Toughest guy: Hats off to Ravens WR Torrey Smith, who's widely renowned as a far better person than player in Baltimore and College Park, Md., where he played for the University of Maryland after a less-than-ideal upbringing. Smith showed his toughness and dedication to his football family Sunday night, less than 24 hours after losing his younger brother in a motorcycle accident. And, yeah, Smith's a pretty good player, too, burning the Pats for two TD catches in a 31-30 win. But Smith will always remember this day for his loss. Godspeed, No. 82.

Best 'remember me?' performance: Kevin Kolb badly outplayed Michael Vick, the man who supplanted him as the Eagles' starting quarterback in 2010, as the Cards decked the Eagles. You almost wonder who Andy Reid would start now if he still had Kolb as an option.

Worst timeout accounting: The crew of replacement officials in Minneapolis allowed San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh to challenge two fourth-quarter plays after he called his final timeout. And, yes, after his ill-gotten challenge was upheld on the first sequence, the final timeout he'd already taken was restored ... so the vicious cycle could repeat itself.

Worst timeout: In an attempt to ice New York Jets K Nick Folk with an overtime timeout, Miami Dolphins coach Joe Philbin instead gave his team's archrival second life after Folk's first attempt at heroism was blocked. After some de-icing, Folk then booted the game-winning field goal from 33 yards ... much to the chagrin of the Dolphins' Dan Carpenter, who misfired on three-pointers in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Best adherence to principles: Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano defended his team's kneel-down disrupting tactics all week despite drawing criticism for ordering his players to try and force a turnover in Week 2 while the New York Giants were trying to kill the clock. Yet Schiano sent his charges back into the breach twice against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. They again caused a potentially dangerous pileup of bodies but failed to regain possession. On the bright side, the Bucs have remained within striking distance at the end of games, something they rarely did in 2011.

Sloppiest game: Before their final dance, the Cowboys and Bucs combined for 23 penalties, five fumbles (three lost) and two interceptions. Plenty of things to practice besides the kneel-down ambush and defending it for both clubs.

Best punt protector: You knew Tim Tebow would eventually emerge as a special teams ace. It happened Sunday when his 5-yard gain on fourth-and-3 from the up-back position eventually set up a Folk field goal in the second quarter.

Worst Jay Cutler impersonation: St. Louis Rams QB Sam Bradford was sacked six times in Chicago but did not rip his blockers despite the beating.

Best team on Lake Erie: The Buffalo Bills ended their eight-game road losing streak, though they didn't have to travel very far to earn Great Lakes supremacy by vanquishing the Cleveland Browns, now losers of nine in a row.

Best Colts killer: After a 177-yard effort on the ground that included a 59-yard touchdown, Maurice Jones-Drew has rushed for 1,389 yards and 10 TDs in 13 games against the Colts. A lot has changed in Indianapolis, but apparently some things never do. Side note: MJD's score was his 63rd career rushing TD, bypassing Fred Taylor's former Jacksonville Jaguars record.

Best Colts assassin: Unlike Jones-Drew, wideout Cecil Shorts was virtually invisible all day. But his first catch of the game went for an 80-yard TD with 45 seconds to go. Ball game.

Best streak to quietly continue: New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees has thrown a TD pass in 46 consecutive games, one shy of Johnny Unitas' league record. But it's that 0-3 streak that's consuming Saints fans.

Best streak to come to an end: Alex Smith hadn't committed a regular-season turnover in 10 months. But his run of 249 consecutive passes without an interception came to an end Sunday in Minnesota, where Smith also lost a fumble. Little wonder the 49ers were derailed.

Quietest homecoming: Randy Moss had never played against the Vikings, the team that drafted him in 1998, until Sunday. He caught three passes for 27 yards, hardly evoking imagery from his prime days in purple. However he did leapfrog Tim Brown into fourth place on the NFL's all-time list for receiving yards (14,946).

Fool's gold? The 49ers defense had been earning comparisons to the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Premature ones as it turned out. The Vikings ground out 146 rushing yards, the most the Niners had allowed since Nov. 21, 2010, in the upset.

Best three-man weave: The Kansas City Chiefs' Jamaal Charles, Justin Houston and Ryan Succop could win the AFC's weekly offensive, defensive and special teams awards, respectively. Charles had 288 yards from scrimmage (233 rushing) and a 91-yard TD run, Houston sacked Brees three times, and Succop scored 19 points, including the game-winning 31-yard field goal in overtime as the Chiefs outlasted the Saints 27-24.

Best 0-3 team: That's the silver lining for the Saints, who are mired with the Cleveland Browns as the league's only winless outfits. New Orleans has now matched its three regular-season losses from 2011 and lost twice in the Superdome, where the team was perfect last year. But that's what happens when you're allowing nearly 500 yards per game.

Smooth sophomores: Cam Newton may have won offensive rookie of the year honors in 2011, but could only watch Sunday as Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton and Blaine Gabbert all keyed their teams' victories.

Best debut: The Detroit Lions finally let Mikel Leshoure loose after an Achilles' injury in 2011 and a suspension this year delayed his unveiling until Sunday. He responded with 134 yards from scrimmage and a TD.

Many happy returns: The Tennessee Titans scored touchdowns off a kickoff, punt and a fumble. That's a good way to overcome a defense that allowed the Lions 583 yards.

Best rushing QB ever? Robert Griffin III could be taking aim at the most rushing yards in a season for a quarterback -- 1,039 by Vick in 2006 -- after adding 85 more Sunday. Griffin now has 209 through three games, which puts him on pace for 1,115. RGIII ran for 82 last week. Newton's career-best is 71. However Vick has 10 career 100-yard games.

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About Reid and Mike

Reid Cherner has been with USA TODAY since 1982 and written Game On! since March 2008.

He has covered everything from high schools to horse racing to the college and the pros. The only thing he likes more than his own voice is the sound of readers telling him when he's right and wrong.

Michael Hiestand has covered sports media and marketing for USA TODAY, tackling the sports biz ranging from what's behind mega-events such as the Olympics and Super Bowl to the sometimes-hidden numbers behind the sports world's bottom line.